Every year our WWII unit catches the attention of the 7th graders. They ask questions, most of which we tell them they’ll have to wait to have answered, but their interest is piqued and they remember this as they enter our classes the following year.
This year, we actually had students ask us to create something like this unit for them! They asked us to give them more work, work that will be challenging, require research and analysis. They asked us! For me, this may be the greatest compliment as a teacher, when students are so excited for something that is being done they cannot wait to be included. Heather and I also realized we would be remiss if we did not seize the opportunity.
Once again, we jumped in with two feet. We decided to base a cross-curricular unit for our 7th grade around Refugee by Alan Gratz.
The 7th-grade social studies course is world geography. This opened doors in terms of content, but then the decision becomes where to stop the content. I didn’t want to delve too far into the history since some of it will overlap in 8th grade, but in order to understand the story the history is necessary.
From a social studies standpoint, the unit addressed basic geography - location, culture, history, and politics. I used this unit to build student’s research and writing skills, and discuss the theme of continuity and change over time.
The English component of the unit enabled students to not only read a book and examine the elements we always address: plot, characters, literary devices, themes, and setting, but the very content of this novel opened the door wide for us to delve into issues of social justice. My (Heather) hope for these students (and I know Terri is in agreement here) was that they begin to not only understand the issues of political unrest that have throughout history (and even present day) caused people to flee their countries in fear, but to begin to empathize with people in this unfortunate situation.
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